Apparatus for shaping metal articles.



P. G. WAOKER. APPARATUS FOR SHAPING METAL ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED APR.1, 1912.

2 8HBETSSHEET 1.

P. G. WAOKER.

APPARATUS FOR SHAPING METAL ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 1, 1912.

Patented Sept. 22, 1914 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

jizawzivf M UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK G..'WACKER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO CHARIlES H. WACKQER,

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS roa SHAPING METAL ARTICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 22, 1914.

i Application filed April 1, 1912. Serial No. 687,634.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK G. l/VACKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Apparatus for Shaping Metal Articles, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the art of shaping hollow metal articles by means of suitable fluid pressure applied to the interior thereof for expanding such articles against a die or mold.

One object of my invention is to provide a new and improved apparatus for so shaping metal articles, in which such an article is heated preliminarily and before the pressure is applied thereby taking the chill off the article and rendering it less liable'to breakage or rupture, the heat being applied through the body of water within the hollow article in case hydraulic pressure is the power or pressure employed.

Another object of my invention is to materially reduce the cubical contents of the interior of the article, leaving just enough space for the expanding fluid pressure to act upon the walls of the article, thereby materially reducing the amount of fluid employed, such as water in case hydraulic pressure is utilized.

Other novel and advantageous features of my apparatus will be apparent from the description hereinafter given.

In the drawings Figure l is a vertical sectional elevation of an apparatus or machine embodying my invention illustrating the be ginning of the operation of forming a bar rel; Fig. 2 an elevation of said machine with a portion thereof in section illustrating the completion of said operation; Fig. 3 a plan view of the machine illustrated in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 a horizontal section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and Fig. .5 a similar section but illustrating different positions of some zontal plane and when swung inwardly to a position between the two posts, the same is adapted to rest upon and to be supported by a bedplate 1 rising as a boss centrally of the base. While my machine would be complete with a single one of these supports 4, I prefer to employ aplurality of them in order to facilitate the operation as will be hereinafter made apparent.

Mounted upon the base 1 is the die or mold 5 which is made in two halves pivoted together upon the vertical pintle 6 which is mounted in and supported by such base at one side of the boss 1' as illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5. The two parts or sections of the die or mold are held together in closed condition in suitable manner asby means of the bolt 7 pivoted on one section and having a nut 8 adapted to engage the parallel lugs 9 on the other section. Each of the swinging-supports 4 is provided with a core which may or may not be integral therewith but which, in the present instance, is formed as a hollow casting 10 separate therefrom and secured to the upper face of the support in suitable manner as by means of the bolts 11. This core is of a suflicient size to materially decrease the cubical contents of the interior of the die or mold as well as of the cylindrical metal blank 12 from which the article is to be shaped. Consequently and as clearly shown in Fig. 1 this core is of somewhat less dimensions than the interior of the cylindrical blank'thereby leaving an annular space between it and thewalls of the blank and also above it in order to receive a body of water in case the fluid pressureemployed is hydraulic pressure. To form a tight joint a circular gasket 13 is used between the bottom of the core and the top face of its support and in addition, for the purpose of sealing the lower end of the blank in the shaping operation, I provide a circular gasket 14 upon said support and uponwhich the lower end of the blank rests. The core is made hollow both for lightness and for a steam space, the steam being supplied through the lower open end of the core from a suitable source of steam supply pass-.

ing through a flexible hose 15 and through the horizontal passage 16 in the support 4. As a result the core as well as the body of water surrounding it is heated and the heat thereby imparted to the blank 12 to both facilitate the shaping operation and to avoid I rying at its-lower end a hea ing of the body of such blank until the margin of such head comes in contact with the top surface of the die, Fig. 2. The iston l9 and its head are adapted to be hel in a normally raised position in suitable manner as by means of the coil springs 21 bearing upwardly against a cross-head 22 which in turn transmits the pressure of'the springs to a vertical rod- 23 attached to the piston. This piston is moved downwardlyby fluid pressure, preferably hydraulic pressure,

.which' is supplied from a. suitable source through the pipe 24 communicating with the passage 25 in the cross-head 2 which passage enters the upper end of the 'chamber 17. The fluid pressure, preferably hydraulic pressure, is supplied to the interior of the blank from any suitable source, as

for instance through the supply pipe 26 v communicating with the passage 27 in the movable head 20. In the present instance andby-preference, I employseparate sources of fluld pressure for supplying the pressure through the pipes 24 and 26.

- 'In practice, assumin that the die sections are open, as shown in ig. 5, and the movable supports 4 are swung outwardly, a barrel blank is placed. over the core of one of these supports, whereupon such support is swung inwardly to a position immediately over the boss 13 and the die sections are thereupon closed and locked. vA suflicient quantity of water maybe introduced into the blank either before or after it takes its osition within the die. The water so introuced is heated by means of the core which is itself heated by the steam admitted to its interior, as hereinbefore stated, with the re- .sult that prior to the expanding operation the blank is heated. The arts now be- 1 ing ready for. the expan ing operation ,the pressure is admitted to the chamber 17 1 ready to be swung into working position just as soon as'the first blank or article is shaped.

The die is now opened and the-firstmentioned support -4 1s swung outwardly. and the other support swung'i'nto' operativeposition. The formed article which, in the present' instance, is a barrel body is now removed from its support by raising it up- 1 wardly and the water within is permitted to drain away. The operation is continued by.

ese supports alternately in the'-'m ner described.

It will be understood from the foregoing description that I am enabled by my appa-' ratus to expand or shape the article with a considerable less quantity of water than otherwise. Without the use of a core the.

amount of water required equals the cubical contents of the article shaped and all of this ,water,whose amount is'considerable, for instance as much as fifty-six gallons in case of a full-size barrel, must be twice handled, first in being introduced into the blank and then in being removed or permitted to drain jreducing the cubical contents of the blank from the less quantity but also the function of heating the blank indirectly through the medium of the water which is itself utilized in applying the hydraulic pressure, thereby avoiding rupture or injury to the blank which might result in case the blank were acted upon in chilled condition.

I prefer to mount the core upon the "support as illustrated in the drawings althou h it is obvious that .it might be secured to t e movable head with the result that the core would be inserted into the barrel blank from above in the downward movement of this head. In this event the properprovision would be made as in the case of the core described. to heat the hollow interior by means of steam.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus forshaping ahollow metal article, the combination, with adie, of a bottom support for one end of the. article, a core partlally fillingthe interior of such article and immovabletherein in operation, a movable head adapted to engage and close the other end of the article, and means for applying fluid pressure to the interior of the article.

- 2. In an apparatus .for shaping a hollow metal article, the combination, with a die, T

of a bottom support for one end of the artiof a bottom support for one end of the art i' cle, a stationary core secured to such support and partially filling the interior of such article, a movable head adapted to close the other end of the article, and means for applying fluid pressure to the interior of the article. I V Y 4. In an apparatus for shaping a hollow -metal article, the combination, with a die,

of a bottom support for one end of the article, a core partially filling the interior of such article, means for heating such core, and means for applying fluid pressure to the interior of the article.

- 5. In an apparatus for shaping a hollow metal article, the combination, with a die, of a bottomsupport for one end of the article, a hollow core partially filling the-interior of such article, means for supplying steam to the interior of the core, and means for applying fluid pressure to the interior of the article.

6. In an apparatus for shaping a hollow metal article, the combination, with a die, of a bottom support for one, end of the-article, said die being removably mounted upon said support, a core mounted upon suchsupport and partially filling the interior of such article, and means independent of the core for applying fluid pressure to the interior of the article.

7 In'an apparatus for shaping a hollow metal article, the combination, with a die, of a bottom support for one end of the article, a core immovable in operation and partially filling the interior of such article but having a space for water between it and the inner walls of the article, a movable head adapted to engage and close the other end of the article, and'means for applying hydraulic pressure to such water within the article to expand the latter to the shape of the die.

8. In an apparatus for shaping a hollow metal 'article, the combination, with a die,

of a bottom support for one end of the artiof such article, means for supplying heat to the interior of the core, and means for applying fluid pressure to the. interior of the article and around the core.

10. In an apparatus for shaping a hollow metal article, the combinatiom'with a die, of a bottom support for one end of the article, a hollow core partially filling the interior of such article, means for supplying steam heat to the interior of the core, and means for applying fluid pressure to the interior of the article and around the core.

11. In an ap aratus for shaping a hollow metal article, t e combination, with a die, of a bottom support for one end of the article, an imperforate core mounted upon and removably secured to the support, a movable tially fill the interior of the article, and

means for applying fluidepressure to the interior of the article.

13. In an apparatus for shaping a hollow metal article, the combination, with a die, of a bottom support for one end of the article, a gasket-upon the face of the support on which the lower edge of the article rests, a core partially filling the interior of the article, and means for applying fluid pressure to the interior of the article.

14. In an apparatus for shaping a hollow metal article, the combination, with a die, of a bottom support for one end of the article, a fluid pressure actuated head for engaging the other end thereof, a core partially filling the interior of such article, and means independent of the fluid pressure for actuating the head for supplying fluid pressure to the interior of the article.

15. In an apparatus for shaping a hollow metal article, the combination, with a die, of a bottom support for one end of the article, a fluid pressure actuated head for engaging the other end thereof, a hollow core partially, filling the interior of such article, means for heating the core, and means for supplying fluid pressure to the interior of the article.

16. In an apparatus for shaping a hollow metal article, the combination, with a die, of a bottom support for one end of the article, said support having a conduit for the passage of' a heating fluid; a hollow core-upon such support and having its interior communicating with said conduit, said core par- 17. In an apparatus for shaping a hollow .metal article, the combination of a pair of horizontally swinging supports;4, 'a die 5 adapted to be placed upon'one or the other of such supports, cores on the supports and adapted to partially fill the die, a movable head adapted to fit upon the top of a blank placed within the die, and means for introducing fluid under pressure within the blank.

18. In an apparatus for shaping a hollow metal article, the combination of a pair of horizontally swinging supports 4, a die 5 adapted to be placed upon one or the other of such supports, hollow cores on the supports and adapted to partially fill the die, means for heating the cores, a movable head adapted to fit upon the top of a blank placed within the die, and means for introducing fluid under pressure within the blank. 1

v 19. In an apparatus for shaping a hollow metal article, the combination of a pair of horizontally swinging supports 4, a die 5 adapted to be placed upon one or the other of such supports, hollow cores on the supports and adaptedto partially fill the die,

means for supplying steam to the interior of said cores, a. movable head adapted to fit upon the top of a blank placed within the die, and means for introducing fluid under pressure within the blank.

20. In an apparatus for shaping ahollow metal article, the combination. of a pair of horizontally swinging supports 4, a die 5 its core, a head movable toward and away from the top of the die and adapted to fit upon the top of a blankcontained within such die, and means for introducing fluid under pressurelwithin the blank.

FREDERICK G. WAOKER.

Witnesses:

RICHARD D. LOGAN, G. I. PERKINS. 

